Pre-planned arty vs. waiting

[rocketman]

Consider this: start of a scenario, you have a FO and some 50 105mm, known objective areas that are supposed to contain trenches, bunkers etc, there are also some indication icons of suspected targets - what do you do:

1) Use pre-planned arty to saturate the entire area (even with a delay) hoping for as many casualties as possible.

2) Maneouver the FO along with you advance, run the risk of having him capped, find LOS to the area that by this stage have spotted known target, saturate with arty a smaller area that has known target.

Up until know I have done 2) but I'm thinking of switching more to 1).

Please ignore discussion of house rule not to use pre-planned on turn 1 in ME multiplayer.

[Erwin]

One can use the preplanned option with a 5-15 min delay, THEN maneuver to get LOS to the impact area to see if there indeed any enemy units there.

If none there, you can ADJUST the mission. In another thead I think folks said that you can still adjust to a spot not in LOS.

If not, at least you can cancel the mission saving precious arty and call again for arty on a spot within LOS later.

[womble]

Consider this: start of a scenario, you have a FO and some 50 105mm, known objective areas that are supposed to contain trenches, bunkers etc, there are also some indication icons of suspected targets - what do you do:

1) Use pre-planned arty to saturate the entire area (even with a delay) hoping for as many casualties as possible.

2) Maneouver the FO along with you advance, run the risk of having him capped, find LOS to the area that by this stage have spotted known target, saturate with arty a smaller area that has known target.

Up until know I have done 2) but I'm thinking of switching more to 1).

Please ignore discussion of house rule not to use pre-planned on turn 1 in ME multiplayer.

I don't think you can 'saturate' a big enough area in the hope of casualties. If there's an obvious place you really don't want him to be (a vantage point you won't have LOS to, until it's already giving you grief), hit it with an opening barrage so it's not an issue any more. Firing at ghosts is a waste of ammo, if you haven't got 'an excess'.

Sticking a long delay on the fire mission might be a good plan, in some cases though.

[Chek]

One can use the preplanned option with a 5-15 min delay, THEN maneuver to get LOS to the impact area to see if there indeed any enemy units there.

If none there, you can ADJUST the mission. In another thead I think folks said that you can still adjust to a spot not in LOS.

If not, at least you can cancel the mission saving precious arty and call again for arty on a spot within LOS later.

What he said,seems to work well.

AFAIK though you can't adjust out of LOS